It is well known that dogs have an uncanny ability to compensate for an injured limb. A dog with a missing limb can maintain sufficient capability to keep up with a pack of healthy dogs. A dog with lameness in one leg can compensate so well that it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to tell which leg is lame.
Current techniques used to identify lameness in a clinical setting are through visual observation, manual manipulation, x-ray and MRI test. The problem with these methods is the need to first determine which specific limb is the one that is manifesting either primary or secondary lameness. Experienced veterinary clinicians often fail to correctly identify the proper limb. It is reported that 1 in 5 dogs that enter a veterinary clinic have undetected lameness, and are therefore not treated. Until recently there were only three objective methods for identifying lameness. One was with expensive and time consuming 3D video. The other was by walking the dog in multiple passes over a force plate, and analyzing the data. Both of these methods are difficult to use and are highly inaccurate.
The third method is an over ground system using a long pressure sensor matrix laid under a carpeted walkway, which in recent years has proven to be highly accurate and easier to use in both research and clinical practice. While this method works well with humans in a clinical setting, it is less practical for use with dogs in clinical settings. In particular, the dog must walk at a constant, specified rate, and not stop, slow, or stray off the walkway.
Apparatus and methods for analyzing the gait of humans are known in the art. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,585, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. While this system particularly relates to an over ground system for human patients, it has been adapted for use by four-legged animals, and specifically for use by dogs.
One way to overcome the problem of walking at a constant, specified rate is to utilize a treadmill. The treadmill can be adjusted to a specific rate of speed. The dog can be guided and controlled so as to walk centered on the treadmill. What is needed is to adapt the pressure sensor matrix apparatus, method, and software for use on a treadmill.
Accordingly there is a need to provide a canine gait analyzer that is user-friendly and that accurately identifies lameness without trained clinician expertise.
There is a further need to provide a canine gait analyzer of the type described and that works reliably for use with dogs in clinical settings.
There is a yet further need to provide a canine gait analyzer of the type described and which can be adapted for use on any commercially available treadmill, thereby avoiding the problems associated with the prior art.
There is a still further need to provide a canine gait analyzer of the type described and which can be manufactured at high quality in a cost-effective manner.